Artist Database

PETERSON, Margaret

Born

Seattle, United States, 1902

Died

Victoria, British Columbia, 1997

Biography synopsis

Margaret Peterson was born in Seattle, Washington and studied a B.A. and a Masters degree at the University of California. In 1931 she traveled to Paris, where she studied with Vaclav Vytlacil and André L’Hôte. She was interested in Native cultures from North and Central America, so she traveled and did research in Mexico, Central America (1934) and also British Columbia (1935). In subsequent years she returned to Mexico, Guatemala and other Central American countries. She also traveled from Sweden to Egypt (1963-1968). For 22 years she taught at the University of California. Margaret Peterson held solo exhibitions at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, California (1933, 1960); Biblioteca Nacional, Mexico City (1934); Henry Museum, Seattle, Washington (1934); the San Francisco Art Museum, Civic Center (1950, 1958, 1973); Du Casse Studio, San Francisco (1958); University of California, San José (1958), Monterey Peninsula Chapter of American Federation of Arts, Calif. (1965) Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, British Columbia (1950, 1959, 1962 and a retrospective in 1978). Her work was also included in prestigious group exhibitions, including the Forth and Fifth Biennal Exhibitions of Canadian Art, National Gallery, Ottawa (1961, 1963) and the Sao Paulo Biennale, Brazil (1963). She earned many awards, including the Tansig traveling fellowship, University of California (1931-1932); First prize, San Francisco Women Artists (1936, 1952); Purchase Award San Francisco Art Association (1942); First prize, San Francisco Art Association (1947); Blue Ribbon, Pacific Artists Festival (1952); and Canada Council Senior Grant (1963). Peterson’s work is part of private and public permanent collections, including the Confederation Memorial Building, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada; National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; Oakland Art Museum, California; Palace of Legion of Honor, San Francisco California; University of Victoria, B.C.; and others.